Category: Sermon

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

We Are Easter People: Living Holy Lives

One of my favorite Scripture passages can be found in Luke 18:9-14.

There we see the story of  two people who went to the Temple to pray. One of the people praying was a Pharisee while the other was a tax collector. What I like about this passage is that it is one of those stories that reflects on who we often are and who we want to be.

Jesus recounts the Pharisee’s prayer first. He looks around and prays that he is glad he is not like any of the other people who were around. The tax collector then prays. He prays for God to simply forgive him. Jesus doesn’t offer commentary on the two prayers, but allows the contrast to speak for itself.

I mention this story, because I believe it highlights how we often relate to our new life in Christ and the Good News of the resurrection. We know God has given us a new life through faith in Christ, but sometimes we respond to this new life by looking out into the world and being thankful we are not like some of the others. Thankful that we have it all together. Thankful that we aren’t like those who struggle. Much like the Pharisee, it is an attitude where we consider ourselves as “holier” than others because of this new life. An attitude often seen by the people we seek to love as judgmental, condescending, or dismissive. Continue reading “We Are Easter People: Living Holy Lives”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

We Are Easter People: A Living Hope

Now what?

That question seems to always be asked after a major moment, whether it is a big celebration or a highly-anticipated time of life. We sort of look around and ask what is next on our plates or the next thing we need to do.

Of course, the question can elicit a whole slew of responses based upon the context of the question. It could be cleaning up after a party. It could be trying to figure out what to do with our lives after graduation. It might mean trying to save for college after having children. The potential answers are endless.

It is a question many of us may be asking today. Now what? We have celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning and now we find ourselves one week later wondering what is next. Continue reading “We Are Easter People: A Living Hope”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

The Hope of the Resurrection

When I was a journalist and had some responsibilities about what would be in the newspaper the next morning, I would spend the first few moments of my day planning out what stories we would focus on. These stories mainly comprised of games we knew we were covering, planned features, or other news that had developed during the day. Once I had the plan in place, I would start working on getting things ready to meet our deadlines, such as writing stories, editing, and designing pages.

All this would change if a breaking news alert would come across. Now, when we think of breaking news we might think of an interruption to our favorite television show with the ominous theme music network news departments use to lead into the report. We may also think of the instant notifications that might pop up on our smartphones or tablets. When I was a journalist, a breaking news report was a sudden statement that came across The Associated Press’ wires, which would be followed by several other reports in rapid succession.

Any type of  breaking news comes to us suddenly and forces its way into the planned course of the day. These unexpected reports challenge the listener, reader, or journalist, to pay attention to it and to try and make sense of what is being announced. Continue reading “The Hope of the Resurrection”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

An Easter Devotion

In the dawn of Sunday morning, the day after the Jewish Sabbath following an eventful Passover celebration, Mary Magdalene and some others decided to go to the tomb. Not just any tomb, but the tomb where Joseph of Armiathea had placed Jesus following his death on the cross Friday afternoon. The Sabbath prevented Mary and her friends from journeying to the tomb, but once the sun was up on Sunday morning they proceeded to go to where Jesus was buried.

Scripture gives us conflicting reports as to why Mary visited the tomb. Some say she was there to finish the burial, while John perhaps focuses on her devotion to Jesus by indicating no other desire other than just to be there. The conflicting reports are simply different perspectives of the same story that focuses on what Mary and her group experienced.

However, once they arrived at the tomb that saw something they did not expect. They noticed that the stone used to seal the tomb was rolled away. This was a troubling sight and the group was fearful that something bad had happened. Back then it was common for grave robbers to come and steal items from graves. Mary’s first inclination is that this is what happened. She doesn’t go near the tomb, but the fact the tomb was unsealed leaves this possibility open to her. Continue reading “An Easter Devotion”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, Life, Sermon

It is Finished

The scene was dark and disturbing. It was a complete contrast from how the week began. A week filled with so much hope, expectation, and promise, ended here on this hillside. A week that began with shouts of “Hosanna!,” would end at a place known as “The Skull.”

There weren’t many who gathered at this hillside where three people, two revolutionaries and the one from Galilee, were crucified. Among the witnesses were the Roman soldiers and religious leaders of the community who wanted to make sure the crucifixion of the one in the middle – Jesus of Nazareth – was carried out. Also there were some of Jesus’ followers, women and men, who risked their lives to be close to Jesus in his final hours. Continue reading “It is Finished”